The invention pertains to trailers and other containers for moving cargo and, more particularly, to sidewalls for cargo containers comprising composite panels.
Multi-panel constructions of the sidewalls of a trailer housing are known. A typical trailer 10 employing such construction is shown in FIG. 1. Such a trailer generally comprises a floor 14, a roof 16, a front wall 18, a pair of sidewalls 22, a rear cargo door (not shown), landing gear 24, and a wheel support assembly 26. Each sidewall 22 and front wall 18 comprises a plurality of composite panels 12. Preferably, each composite panel is rectangular, having a height greater than its width. Although the composite panels are shown in FIG. 1 as being relatively equal in size, the width and thickness of each panel may vary.
FIG. 2 shows a prior art construction of a composite panel 12 and a method of joining or splicing adjacent panels to form the sidewalls 22 and the front wall 18. Composite panel 12 comprises a laminated sandwich including a plastic core 28 and aluminum face sheets 30 adhesively attached to each surface thereof. As shown in FIG. 2, adjacent composite panels 12 are joined by means of an external aluminum splice plate 32 riveted thereto by vertical rows of rivets 34. The inside and outside wall surface of each panel are generally planar (i.e., lying in a plane), although the rivet heads 34 are shown as protruding.
In the construction of trailers and other cargo carriers, it is important to maximize space within the interior of the housing for the purpose of carrying cargo. In that regard, it is desired that the walls of the housing, in particular the internal sidewalls, be free from any protrusion or obstructions that could impinge cargo space. Turning to the prior art, elimination of the spacer 32 at the edges of panels 12 would have the advantage of removing such protrusions and obstructions in the cargo area. It also is desired to have the rivet heads recessed and the edges of the inside sheets curved inward so as not to be caught and torn by the fork lifts or cargo.
It is further desired to provide mounting points along the interior of the cargo container. Such mounting points may be obtained by incorporating a logistics plate into the joining means between adjacent composite panels. The use of the offset portions to form a recessed pocket between adjacent panels allows the logistics plate to be recessed from the interior surface of the container. The logistics plate can also be integrated with the composite panels via the same joining means which connects the adjacent panels.
It is further desired to have a scuff plate interconnected to the inside of each sidewall 22 in a simple yet structurally sound manner to provide a relatively smooth surface facing the interior of the cargo container that will not entangle any cargo or equipment used to load or unload cargo. Such a scuff plate is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,714 to Schmidt which is herein incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a sidewall for a trailer or other cargo container comprising at least one pair of composite panels and means for joining the composite panels. The composite panels include an inside face member, an outside face member, and a core contained between the inside and outside face members. The inside and outside face members include body portions in the area of which the face members are separated by the core, and joint portions in the area where the inside and outside face members are in contact with each other. The joint portion of the outside face can be co-planar with the body portion of the outside face. The joint portion of the inside layer is offset from the body portion towards the outside face member. This offset allows the joining means to be below the plane of the body portion of the inside face member. The joining means takes the form of a multi-level logistics plate. The logistics plate may be adapted to allow cargo restraints to be connected to the side walls of the container.
In one embodiment, each composite panel includes an outside face member having co-planar body and joint portions. An inside face member is provided, having an inclined portion between body and joint portions of the inside face member. The inclined portion offsets the joint portion so that it is in contact with and parallel to the joint portion of the outside face member; and a core member sandwiched between and bonded to the body portions of the inside and outside face members. The outside face member has outer and inner surfaces. The inside face member also has inner and outer surfaces. The inner surface of the joint portion of the outside face member abuts the parallel inner surface of the joint portion of the inside face member. The inclined portion of the inside face member is angled with respect to the body and joint portions. This construction forms a sandwich around the core and an edge which is stepped or offset inwardly at the joint portion of the inside face member. Preferably, two composite panels are positioned adjacent one another with the stepped edges overlapping. The pair of panels are joined at a point where the outer surface of the outside face member of one panel abuts the outer surface of the joint portion of the inside face member of the other panel. The joining means may comprise welding, rivets or the like, and incorporates a logistics plate.
The logistics plate preferably comprises an open ended trapezoid shaped cross section with extensions from the non-parallel sides of the cross section. Slots may be provided in the center section of the trapezoid. The slots are formed to allow for rapid connection of fasteners on the ends of straps or other restraints. The sidewall constructions contemplated may be combined with a scuff plate fastened to the bottom of the container. The scuff plate may include an upward extending flange that protects the inside lower surface of the panels during the loading of cargo.